E + R

Ryan and Emily matched on Facebook Dating (thanks, Mark Zuckerberg) on Saturday, August 24th, 2024. Ryan messaged Emily about shared interests—dogs and Survivor—and they hit it off immediately. As a lifelong Kansas Citian, Emily wasn't going to put a ton of energy into talking to a guy from Council Bluffs, but luckily for Ryan, Emily's coworker encouraged her to go along with it because they were having a slow workday anyway! Simple conversations about reality TV, music, books, and even the Arnold Schwarzenegger Christmas classic, Jingle All the Way, quickly turned into something more, and they discovered a natural connection right from the start. Over the next week, Ryan and Emily talked for hours each day, ending their evenings with FaceTime calls. Ryan probably racked up more FaceTime hours in that first week than he had accumulated up to that point in his life! By the time they met in-person on September 1st in St. Joseph, it already felt like they had known each other for so much longer than a week. Their first date was filled with activities that would become some of their favorites: exploring new eats (Cafe Belle Epoque), thrifting, and consuming copious amounts of ice cream (Kris and Kate's). The afternoon was fun and effortless. They found that it was easy to be genuine with one another, and it was clear from that very first date that what they found together was something truly special. After a year of long-distance dating—meeting families and friends, attending concerts and shows, driving way too much I-29 between KC and CB, and eating a whooooole lot more ice cream—Ryan was sure Emily was "The One." He bought a ring and nervously held onto it in his apartment before proposing on Friday, September 26th, 2025 using a "step-mom application" form where his dog, Koravellium (Kora), submitted her stamp of approval for Emily to join her "Welker wolf pack"! Now, Ryan and Emily are excited to say "I do" on July 25th in Leavenworth, KS surrounded by their family and friends. For their honeymoon, they'll set sail on a Caribbean cruise where they'll be ready for sunshine, adventure, and probably even more ice cream. More than anything, they are excited to begin this next chapter together as they finally start their married life in one city.